Scott Meenagh needed a reason to leave his bed early thanks to Sport. The 36-year-old is currently aiming for a medal at his third and final Winter Paralympics.
When he was injured while serving with the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan in 2011, his life was forever changed. In Helmand Province, he accidentally stepped on an improvised explosive device, killing one of his closest friends. He lost both legs.
Before the accident, Meenagh played rugby and later switched to biathlon, a brutal cross-country skiing and shooting match.
The Milan-Cortina games from March 6 through March 5 will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Winter Paralympics.
Meenagh said, “I needed a goal.” I needed something to get me back on track and in the swing of life once more. And what sport gives you the chance to improve yourself every day.
I believe I’m in a real position at the moment because of that. I’m not just given the gift of improving myself. I strive to be better every day because I know I’m expected to be better.
“Some very difficult times have happened in my life,” I said. In Afghanistan, I lost a very close friend and suffered a lot of trauma. Your sense of a strong appetite for life is confirmed by your perspective. And you make the best of every day when you’ve probably been at the bottom.
The first high-performance sport’s first-ever experience was rowing at the 2014 Invictus Games. In front of my friends and family, I was able to pull on that tracksuit from Great Britain and compete on a global stage.
- two days ago
- 11 March
“People assumed I was there,” I said.
However, some people were reluctant to support Meenagh when she first started thinking about becoming a biathlete and aspiring to compete in the Winter Paralympics.
“Eddie the Eagle responded” to my questioning when I began on that journey.”
He refers to Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards, the first British ski jumper to compete at a Winter Olympics.
At the 1988 Winter Olympics, Edwards came in third place by a long shot, but some viewers turned their backs on him. He won over millions of viewers worldwide, and his adventures were the subject of a movie in 2016.
However, Meenagh dared to dream, and the dream that was born in coffee shops turned into a reality.
He said, “I believe people assumed I was there.” There were many “we’re not handing out a free tracksuit” discussions right away.
I quickly found myself surrounded by people who were enthusiastic about the concept. We could see the viability of a cross-country program.
Meenagh had been a member of the GB rowing team up until 2016, but a few years prior, he was inspired to switch.
He said, “They sent me to Russia in 2014 as part of an inspiration program,” “and I got to experience the Paralympic Games.” And I was able to watch the biathlon there.
I have the right to anticipate success.
The entire Paralympic community helped Meenagh achieve his dream.
He said, “We reached out to countries like Canada and the United States for support, training, and guidance on how to get up and running.” We started out as a small group of people in a coffee shop, and it has since grown.
As the first British athlete to compete in a sit-ski at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, I attended the games with the support and funding from UK sport. There were many other athletes, many other staff members, and it wasn’t just me.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to Meenagh’s sixth-place finish at the 2022 Games in Beijing, where Meenagh advanced to the next stage.
He describes himself as unapologetically ambitious and wants to win a medal at his farewell games.
Meenagh continued, “I’m starting to feel a little pressure entering these games.
In terms of the sport’s trajectory, the accomplishments I’ve made, and the results I’ve had at World Championships.
related subjects
- Winter sports
- Sport for people with disabilities
- Winter Olympics
Source: BBC
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